What I Saw at the MAGA Revolution

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I was there at the dawn of the New Right.

In December 2016 I spoke at a conference in Glen Cove, New York, on the Christian-Jewish Alliance: Reclaiming and Rebuilding Conservatism. My topic: Donald Trump’s working-class populism.

The weather was dreary. The mood was not. Looking back at the roster of speakers, I see prominent MAGA intellectuals: Israeli political philosopher Yoram Hazony, First Things editor R.R. Reno, columnist David P. Goldman, and American Affairs editor Julius Krein—leading critics of the conservative establishment.

Their indictment was bracing. Pre-Trump conservatism had abandoned Middle America. It compromised with social liberalism. Its free-trade policies hollowed out the industrial heartland. Its open borders undercut wages. Its endless wars spilled American blood and treasure.

For these writers, Trump heralded a revolution. His presidency was a fresh start. The right would reconnect with its traditional roots in nationalism and religion. This “New Right” wouldn’t defer to liberal sensibilities and rules. It would confront and defeat the progressive left. And it would do so without hesitation or apology.

Eight years later, we are living in the age of Trump. What began as a rebellion against mainstream conservatism is now orthodoxy. The pre-Trump GOP is gone. Its standard-bearers are retired or dead. The “Never Trump” faction left the Republican Party.